Alfred jorgensen



(No Model.)

A. JRGBNSBN & A. BERGH. APPARATUS POR THE PRODUCTION-0F YBAST 0R SIMILARSUBSTANGBS. No. 467,993. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

llllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED .TRGENSEN, OF COPENI-IAGEN, DENMARK, AND AXEL BERGI-T, OFSTOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,993, dated February2, 1892.

Application tiled May 12, 1890. Serial No. 351,554. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

' Be it known that we, ALFRED J RGENsEN, I

a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Copenhagen, in the Kingdomof Denmark, and AXEL BERGH, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing atStockholm, in the Kir1gdom of Sweden, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Yeast and SimilarSubstances; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. t

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the productionof yeast and similar substances. By his important scientitic labors Dr.E. Chr. Hansen has caused a new departure in fermentation, and his sys-,tem has been introduced into every country.

One feature of his system is the propagating apparatus for theproduction of absolutely pure yeast.

The improved apparatus hereinafter described is designed to be used forthe continuous development of a large quantity of absolutely pure yeast,which can be readily developed further in practice. In the constructionof this apparatus the principal object has been to obviate infection, inorder that, on the one hand, the operation can be effected through themedium of a sterilized liquid, and that, on the other hand, a controlcan be easily obtained over the aeration necessary for the yeast. Thesaid apparatus differs, essentially, from the apparatus heretoforeemployed for similar purposes and presents several advantages.

The appliance, which is represented on the accompanying drawing invertical diameter section, comprises two cylinders, which are placed oneabove the other and communicate with each other through a pipe ct and acock b. The cylinderA is surrounded by a jacket divided into twoseparate compartments t' and a, of which the lowest e', through asteamcock, is connected with a steam-inlet pipe, While the upper one nat the top has an annular aperture m. In both cylinders A and B arecentral vertical axes, which at the bottom -have screw-formed stirrers Zand p,wl1ich approach as near as possible the bottom and sides. The axisand the wings of the cylinder A can be given rotary motion by the meansof toothed Wheel connection and pulley, and that in the cylinder Bthrough the medium of a handle or in other suitable manner.

In the cylinder A is a water-level meter consisting of a float r, whichis in connection with the hand s outside the cylinder. Bent air-exittubes fu. and Z are through cocks connected with the top part,respectively, of cylinders A and B.

An air-supply C is, by the means of the tubes c and d and the threecocks e, f, and g, brought into connection with the cylinders B and A.The tube K, which is closed in its interior end,-has in that portionwhich projects into the inner cylinder perforations in its sides,through which holes the sterilized air being led through the tube canpass into the wort, and which is placed horizontally at the bottom ofthe cylinder A, and is,through the cock g, in connection partly with thetube d and partly with the aperture 7L. At the top of cylinder B is aninlet-tube o.

The appliance is used as follows: Sterilized air can be conductedthrough an air-filter C, and thence through two pipes c and d and threecocks e, f, and g to both cylinders. The wort is preferably introducedin the sterilized stateinto the lower cylinderA directly from thebrewery, or it may be sterilized in the same cylinder by admitting steamto a chamberz' at the lower part of a casing which surrounds theaforesaid cylinders. After the desired quantity of wort has beenadmitted the air is introduced in a suitable manner. For this purposethe third or lower of the above-mentioned cocks g communicates with apipe 7c, which is arranged in the lower cylinder at a short distancefrom the bottom of i of stirring the wort. The cooling is effected bycausing cold water to pass from an annun lar pipe m, surrounding theupper part of the said cylinder along the outer periphery of the latter,or to circulate either in the chamber n at the lower part of the lattercasing round the cylinder or in the entire casing. A quantity of theaerated and cooled wort is forced by air-pressure into the uppercylinder B, which is sterilized by steam or in any other sultablemanner. Absolutely pure yeast produced in thelaboratory is introducedthrough a pipe o into the upper cylinder and is intimately mixed withthe wort by means of the hehcal agitator p, arranged at the bottom ofthis cylinder. In order to enable the quantity of wort which has beenintroduced into the lower cylinder and forced upward into the uppercylinder to be indicated without the yuse of a gage-glass, a float r isconnected by means of an arm to a spindle s, which extends to theoutside of the cylinder and carries a hand which indicates the level ofkthe liquid in the said cylinder A. Vhen the yeast has been intimatelymixed with the wort in the upper cylinderB, the charged Wort can becaused to pass through the abovementioned cock band piped back to thelower cylinder A, either at once or after it has been allo-wed toferment in the upper cylinder. After the wort contained in the lowercylinder A has likewise been started and the yeast has been properlymixed with the same a denite quantity is forced into the upper cylinderB. The charged wort and both cylinders must be kept at a temperatureadapted for the continuation of fermentation. As this apparatus has forits obJect to produce pure yeast for use on a large scale, it is amatter of course that this yeast can be removed either when thefermentation has reached its highest stage or after the yeast formed hasfallen to the bottom of the cylinder. In the former case the entire massis stirred on the third or fourth day of fermentation by means of theabove-mentioned agitator Z, and is then removed and added to the wort ina large fermenting-vessel. In the latter case the beer standing over theyeast is let o through the pipe la near the bottom of the cylinder andthe lower of the three cocks gas the said pipe k occupies such aposition that enough beer will remain in thecylinder to keep thesediment suiiciently liquid for removal. The superfluous air and thecarbonic acid produced escape through two bent pipes t and u, connectedwith the upper and lower cylinder. In either of these cases asufticient'quantity of fermenting-Wort must comparatively small size.

be forced beforehand into the upper cylinder B for enabling a freshfermentation to be subsequently commenced therewith in the lowercylinder A. When the yeast has been removed, the lower cylinder A iscleaned and sterilized. The wort is introduced in the manner describedand treated with the yeast formed in the upper cylinder B under similarconditions, whereupon the upper cylinder B is cleaned and sterilized.This-operation is repeated every time.

It is evident that the second cylinder, instead of being arranged abovethe first, as hereinbefore described, can be placed by the side of thesame. The pipe a, through which the two cylinders are connected, extendsso far down in the first cylinder that the level of theliquid will notdescend below the same.

Sediment yeast can be used 'in the second .cylinder B, which has beenpreviously sterilized. In this ease the latter can be made of After thebeer has been discharged by means of pure air a suitable quantity of theagitated sediment yeast is forced into the cylindervand kept thereinuntil this cylinder has been supplied with aerated and cooled wort.

It will be readily understood that the improved apparatus is alsovadapted for development of other organisms than those used for theproduction of yeastfor use in the manufacture of beer and spirits.

Having fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is- A propagating apparatus for the production ofmicro` organisms, especially pure cult ured yeast, consisting of thecombinatiomwith lower cylinder A, provided with a central agitator andmeans for rotating the same, a perforated airinlet pipe located near thebottom, and a trapped outlet-pipe leading from the top, an indicatorl s,and iioat fr, and a connecting-pipe a, leading to upper cylinder B, ofsaid upper cylinder B, also provided with a central agitatorv and meansfor rotating the same, and a trapped outlet for air and gases, bothcylinders being provided with suitable inlet and outlet pipes for wortand yeast and with a sterilized air-supply, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix oursignatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED J ORGENSEN.

AXEL BERGH.

VVit-nesses:

HILMAR BAssU, NILJELTE CLAUssUR.

IOO

